It’s All Too Common

by James Ray Deaton2/15/16
I was born A.D. (Anno Domini) 1956, but if the progressives have their way, I’m likely to die sometime in the Common Era (CE). Really, can’t liberals leave anything to do with Western life, tradition, culture and religion alone? Do they have to insinuate their greedy, bony and over-long fingers into every little thing that has served society so well for so long? They have taken away my plastic bags, my Thomas Edison light bulbs, my traditional definition of marriage, my right to make bad food choices (Damn the trans fats — full speed ahead!), my “water-wasting” toilet (everything was gone in one flush), many of my poorly thought out jokes, my short wheelbase, “dangerously” narrow and high-center-of-gravity CJ Jeep, and too many freedoms and choices to remember. As part of a routine physical last month, the “medical” questions included ones about gun ownership.

And now — more and more — the centuries-old tradition of using A.D.(Anno Domini, Latin for “in the year of the Lord,” ) and B.C. (Before Christ) to date historical events is morphing into the politically correct, liberal and atheist approved, CE and BCE (Common Era and Before Common Era). Why does everything have to be so common? Does everything and the wash machine have to change in our new multi-culti society? Does it all have to change in my lifetime? I guess when you have a president that says America is no longer just a Christian nation, you can’t expect to have a calendar with such Christo-Centric liabilities. Like so many of these horrid PC encroachments I suspect the practice originated in Europe, but was soon embraced by American progressives anxious to emulate their Continental betters.

The Anno Domini system of dating was introduced in A.D. 525 by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus. He calculated (a little incorrectly) the date of the birth of Jesus Christ and numbered years from that date for Easter tables he was preparing. In the 8th century (A.D.) the English monk,The Venerable Bede, used Anno Domini and the Latin equivalent of “Before Christ” in his book “Ecclesiastical History of the English People.” Anno Domini was in widespread use in Europe by the end of the 9th century. A.D. and B.C. have been used in the West in legal and religious documents, most scholarly studies, history books and common language for centuries. Of course, this now must change. CE and BCE have become common with academics and in university presses and with museums. More and more history books and other non-fiction books I read use the new designations. The BBC, in an effort to “not offend or alienate non-Christians,” switched to CE/BCE in 2011. The World Almanac began using the new designations in 2007. It seems most American newspapers and ordinary folks still use A.D. and B.C., but how long can such a non-inclusive and offensive practice continue? When will the PC police make it uncomfortable, slightly racist/nativist/non-inclusive/privileged/boorish to use A.D./B.C.?

And for all the academics is it not just academic anyway since the reference point for both CE/BCE and A.D./B.C. is still the birth of Christ? BCE is still a count-down to the approximate date of Christ’s birth and CE is the time after. The Gregorian/Christian calendar and system of dating is still used world-wide. A.D. 2016 was celebrated around the world from Sydney and Beijing to Mumbai, Dubai, Venice, London, New York and Honolulu. Are the CE/BCE designations a feeble attempt to placate the odd Muslim, atheist or iconoclast who can’t abide living in an Anno Domini world?

As for me, I’m an A.D. kind of guy. If I’m able to muddle on for another 20 or 30 years, I plan to die “In the Year of Our Lord” not in the “Common Era,” thank you very much. Maybe ordinary people can slow and stop this CE/BCE fetish, kind of like we stopped the metric system from conquering America in the 1970’s. For me, Anno Domini is the only way to go.

James Ray Deaton, one of six known conservatives living in Berkeley, Calif., is a graduate of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.Author ArchiveEmail • (804 views)

13 Responses to It’s All Too Common

Yes, we could say that BCE is before and CE is after the approximate birth date of “he who is not to be named’. I could see changing “AD”, which specifically implies the divinity of Christ, but changing BC to BCE is meaningless — except if your goal is to denigrate Christianity. This isn’t respecting other religions (that would probably mean using an entirely different basis), but insulting one particular religion (hated by most liberals, and thus most academics).

And note that the Gregorian calendar was named after . . . Pope Gregory XIII.

The Gregorian/Christian calendar and system of dating is still used world-wide. A.D. 2016 was celebrated around the world from Sydney and Beijing to Mumbai, Dubai, Venice, London, New York and Honolulu.

In fact, the use of the Gregorian calendar is of fairly recent origin in much of the world. On February 8th, the Chinese welcomed in the 4,714th year of the Celestial calendar. I believe the Jews are in year no. 5,776. I don’t know exactly when the Japanese adopted the Western calendar, but feel pretty certain that they were not using it before the Meiji Emperor, if that early. In fact, even today, they have a separate calendar which starts and ends on the inaugurations and deaths of their emperors.

Interestingly, I don’t think the people of these various nations pushed for a change from B.C. and A.D. to B.C.E. and C.E. Rather it was Westerners who hated their culture, particularly those of the Frankfurt School, who pushed to change things.

Even many Europeans were late to using the Gregorian calendar, which was adopted by Catholics after the Protestant Reformation (and of course long after the schism with the Orthodox churches). England adopted it during the lifetime of George Washington (who adjusted his birthday accordingly), and Russia only after the Bolshevik Revolution. (Orthodox churches, at least some of them, still use the Julian calendar.)

Being an old f**t, I prefer BC & AD but you have to give it the the nincompoops. Common Era surely fits these times better. When I was growing up if someone spoke of something or somebody as being common it meant nothing good and the word was rather derogatory in meaning.

My list of “common” in the old sense of the word is exceptionally long and begins with the prez and works on down…

Living in a “Progressive” culture has its drawbacks. One of those is the lack of veneration of tried-and-true wisdom. “Progressives” believe the sun shines out of their own asses. They are the Golden Children whose touch can turn lead into a shinier substance. Nothing that exists on earth is sanctified until touched and redefined by the Golden Children.

Oh, certainly the self-deceit and conceit is three layers thick and disguised. These people rarely openly say that they are the Golden Children, at least not in so many words. They will tell you that it is simply the triumph of “science” or “reason” (or, in the words of libertarians, the “Constitution.”) But the message is the same: We are smarter than the rest of you. We are the Golden Children. We will take all of the works that are tainted by the unenlightened who have come before us and transform them into gold.

There are literally tons of things with names that derive from aspects of cultures that have come before us. Shall the Golden Children change the names of the days of the week because we no longer believe in the gods Saturn, Woden, or Thor?

But the Golden Children, who are fascists in nature, must have their way as all spoiled children try to do.

Limbaugh had a caller today who got to the gist of things, as paraphrased by Rush: What is the identity of this nation and its people going to be?

And Rush got into the aspect that the Left is clearly attempting to wipe out Christianity because they know it is the basis of our civilization.

That is the truth of things being opposed by the “secular” (read: “atheist”) goal of the utopian, race-oriented, class-oriented, sex-oriented “Progressives”wh wish to refashion humanity and culture based on the notion of Darwinism — explicitly that we are just an accident, therefore we are Silly Putty to be shaped and formed as they (the anointed elite) wish. It may be a “scientific” utopia, but it is yet another utopian vision, all the same.

Eradicating the A.D.’s and B.C.’s is tantamount to what the Islamic fundamentalist did in Afghanistan by destroying the Buddhist icons.

Unless one understands that Leftism is the world’s most dynamic religion, none of this will make sense. This is far more than just a matter of left/right politics.

And note that the Anti-Christian Litigation Union (a modification suggested by Elizabeth to my earlier version of one meaning of ACLU) has also supported efforts to remove religious symbols in any public space that can be considered government-controlled. This is why I also refer to them as the American Taliban. Liberals love to smear conservatives by linking them to the Taliban, yet they can identify no linkage other than a general religious devotion (and never mind which religion), but in fact they actually behave like the Taliban in their intolerance for other religions.

One of the things gleaned from reading vampire novels and watching vampire TV shows is the supremacist attitude of vampires…and the Left. Has anything other than massive amounts of tears and bloodshed come from this conceit? Master race. Master compassionate. Master caring. Master environmentalist. Master utopian.

The re-emergence of animal reverence as a dalliance of bored or misguided Western youth is yet one more symptom of the spiritual desert America is becoming.

Secularism, atheism — and all the kooky stuff that comes from it — are always destructive. This is so because they do no set any limits on humanity. The sky and the imagination is the limit — including thinking that you are a cat trapped in a human body.

No true Christian can ever be a “Progressive” Christian for that is an oxymoron. The Christian conception of man is diametrically opposed to the naive, Utopian Leftist vision of 24/7 kumbaya. The Christian understands that man is not an accident. He is created.

However tentatively we can then know what we are created for, this is entirely different from the Darwinian-based secular/atheist conception that man has no duties beyond his own pleasure because there is no real ultimate purpose to life. A Christian has duties. His life has meaning, whether he acknowledges it or not. It’s not all about various forms of hedonism sold as “tolerance” and “diversity.” Some things are inherently just wrong. It’s not all good.

This defines the split between the right and the Left, however feebly many on the right are at addressing this. Those on the right understand that they have duties to more than just their passions. They know that they are broken and in need of being fixed. It is always in the back of our minds to question our own motives, and thus to temper our behaviors with reason and wisdom.

This does not exist on the Left where impulse control is considered “repressive.” Man is kept in the state of a child: ignorant, dependent, and impulsive. He believes fanciful things…including that he may be a man trapped in a woman’s body, or vice versa. “Compassion” becomes a cynical joke, a word that simply means “I will validate your queer indulgence if you will validate mine.”

B.C./A.D. vs. BCE/BC is a mere alphabet-soup game on the periphery, a small battle in a much larger battle of the utopian atheists vs. anyone who values humility and wisdom as worthy traits.

I still remember being taken aback by the theft of “BC” from our books. A high school daughter (future Mrs. Wyoming) of Jerry was ambivolous to my stunned distain as I perused her history book with the new marker.

It reminded me of when the Soviets air-brushed their history. (I’m certain “common cause” will/would continue such changes to our prudish western culture.)

BTW . . . I don’t recall any push by us Christian scum to change January/Janus or March/Mars etc to be scrubed. Guess we Christians should learn to be more zealous.
I say we start by asking who is teaching our children and what are they teaching them. (Correct answer seems to be a buncha bullshit.)

Bill of Rights

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment VII

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.